How to Move (to Austin): a Fish Tank

Jun 29, 2019

In our “How to Move (to Austin)” series, we’ll be making a blog post for the next few months on how to move certain items that might be tricky. For our first How to Move post, we’ll be talking about fish tanks and aquariums. Moving with pets can be difficult, especially with smaller pets such as fish, hamsters, or reptiles that can’t just sit in the car with you and have their own habitat that also needs moving. When it comes to fish, it can be especially worrisome since they need to be in water to live.

Fortunately, it’s not as difficult as it may sound. Here’s how to move a fish tank from one home to another, broken down into steps.

Step 1: Get supplies

Moving your fish tank from one home to another might require more supplies than your basic fish-care supplies, and general moving supplies. Here’s a good list of things to gather:

Step 3: Transporting your fish

Depending on how many fish you have and how long your move is, there are different ways to transport your fish The first way, which should be used for individual fish with moves that will take less than an hour, is to tie them in a plastic bag, similar to the way they were sold to you in the pet store. If you have a beta fish and remember the container it was sold in, you can also use a container like that with a sealed lid.

For bigger, multiple fish, or longer moves– use a 5 gallon bucket. Fill the bucket with water from the tank and place your fish in it, making sure the lid is sealed. We highly recommend using a new bucket, as buckets that have not been completely cleaned could still contain leftover harsh chemicals that could kill your fish.

Step 4: Draining and Cleaning the tank

The easiest way to drain a big tank is to use a siphon hose. After that, clean out your tank and take out all the items in it to be moved separately.

Step 5: Packing aquarium items and tank

Your tank can be moved in a box that is insulated so it doesn’t break during transportation (if you find a big enough box). Aquarium items vary and can be moved by being covered in bubble wrap and placed in a box.

Step 6: Unpack the tank and items

Once you arrive at your new home, unpack your tank, its items, and set everything up perfectly before placing your fish back in.

Step 7: Welcome your fish to the new home

Once the aquarium is set up again, you can place your fish back and welcome them to your new home! Congratulations, you and your fish moved to Austin.

If you’re still looking for some people to help you move, Real Men Moving offers a wide variety of moving services in the central Texas area. Contact us today to get started.